According to a recent FEMA report, “from 2014 to 2016 an estimated 171,500 highway vehicle fires occurred in the United States, resulting in an annual average of 345 deaths; 1,300 injuries; and $1.1 billion in property loss. These highway vehicle fires accounted for 13 percent of fires responded to by fire departments across the nation.”
The report adds, “Approximately one in eight fires responded to by fire departments across the nation is a highway vehicle fire. This does not include the tens of thousands of fire department responses to highway vehicle accident sites.”
A report in The Guardian last week warned that people all across the UK are risking injury and fires by plugging in their electric cars at home using extension cords because of the lack of adequate chargers in that nation. How many stories have they published about the risk of smoking at gas stations?
All new technology is scary. But the risk of fire while driving a fossil fueled car is much greater than it is with an electric car. We need to take a breath and calm down about battery fires. Yes, they do happen and, yes, they are frightening. But they are relatively rare, despite what the news media would have us believe. Drive on electrons and be happy. When it comes to fires, you are safer in an electric car than in a conventional car.
#EV
#^500 Gas Car Fires Per Day — Can We Please Get Serious About Electric Car Battery Fires?
Electric car batteries can catch fire. Okay. They always make headlines. There are 500 gasoline fires a day and few of them ever make the news. It’s time to take a breath and get over the fear of electric cars,